In July of 2008, I made a post on the main page that stated that the visitors had the chance to e-mail me their questions for Becki, which I would then forward to her. So in the middle of August, I had the honor to finally send the very best questions to Becki Newton, exclusively for becki-newton.org. These are Becki’s replies, which I received just a couple of days after sending the questions. I wish to say a huge “thank you” to both Becki and her publicist for doing this for us fans! It truly means a lot!

Q: Growing up, when did you know that you wanted to be an actress? And who was your biggest inspiration?
A: I started doing musicals in elementary school because I loved to sing. My brother Matt and I joined every local production, and were happiest when we were in rehearsal or on stage. As I got older, I knew I loved acting, but wasn’t sure how to go about pursuing it as a profession vs. as a hobby. Matt is one year older than I am, and the second he graduated from college he moved to NYC and started working on TV. After seeing him pave the way, I pretty much followed his lead.

Q: If you weren’t an actor, what would you like to do for a living?
A: There are so many things I would love to do! I would love to be a teacher, or a chef, or writer. I hope that I will be able to do some of these things in this lifetime, I guess I’ll just have to see!

Q: When you got your very first paycheck for Ugly Betty, what was the first thing you bought for yourself?
A: I bought a fancy trench coat from Burberry. It was May and we had our first press event for Ugly Betty, and it was pouring rain. So I ran to the store and bought this trench coat. To this day, I am scared to wear it because I don’t want to spill anything on it.

Q: Which is your favorite episode of Ugly Betty so far, and why?
A: I love all the episodes, but I think my favorite so far is “Fey’s Sleigh Ride” from season 1. It was the first time that I got to work with Michael and America and we spent the entire episode trying to stifle our laughter. I loved seeing how Marc, Amanda, and Betty interacted, and I never get sick of watching the episode. Michael and I did a commentary it on the DVD and I think we talked through the entire thing.

Q: You and America were both so brilliant, so moving, in the Love Dungeon scene in “Zero Worship”. I know nothing about acting, but it seems as if for you to show the human side of Amanda, part of the process might be loaning her your own natural warmth. How do you make this work? Is it easier for you to play snarky Amanda or vulnerable Amanda?
A: Thank you! I love playing all sides of Amanda. The writers always surprise me, and just when I think I have Amanda all figured out I will read a script that throws me for a loop. That’s what keeps these characters so interesting and unpredictable. I have tons of fun playing snarky amanda, because I get away with saying things I would never say in real life. But at the same time, the human side of Amanda is what makes the bitchiness even remotely tolerable. I think Betty brings out both sides of Amanda really well.

Q: After watching the episode “Fey’s Sleigh Ride” I realized that, apart from this episode, there aren’t very many scenes with Betty, Amanda, and Marc together. But then in the last two episodes of Season Two we get more of this great trio. Was there a conscious effort made late in Season Two to team up the three of you more, and will we see more in Season Three?
A: I can tell you that so far in season 3 we have had some great scenes altogether. It is so much fun! A lot of it depends on how story lines fit together (remember, we have a HUGE cast). The great thing about having so many incredible cast members is that we often have scenes with people that we haven’t worked with before. I recently filmed a scene with Judith Light and realized that I haven’t ever had a scene with her. So we shall see, it really all depends how the stories play out.

Q: You’ve gotten great response for your singing, which happens occasionally on Ugly Betty. Is this something you would like to take a step further and release an album or at least a couple of songs?
A: I don’t think I would ever release any kind of album (I will leave the pop singing to Amanda!) but I do hope to be in a Broadway musical someday. That was my goal when I first moved to NYC. I ended up in TV almost by accident!

Q: What do you like to do on your days off?
A: I am the queen of doing nothing. I like to plan as little as possible and see where the day takes me. Now that I am in NYC, my best days are the ones I don’t plan out.

Q: I read online that you learned the quite difficult language of Greek since your husband’s from Greece. How difficult was it for you? And what is your favorite Greek food?
A: I love all things Greek, especially the language. It was easier to learn than other languages because I hear my husbands’ family speak it all the time. My mother-in-law’s meatballs are my absolute favorite greek food. No contest.

Q: I really like your fashion sense. Who are your favorite designers and favorite must have?s at the moment? And also, do you have any fashion/beauty tips you?d love to share?
A: My one fashion rule: never set any rules when it comes to fashion. I love all kinds of designers, especially newer ones that have yet to establish themselves in the mainstream. I think people should have fun with fashion. Life is too short to worry to much about what other people think. Also, a smile and good posture can sell any outfit!

Q: What are your favorite films and musicians?
A: Favorite Films: Dirty Dancing, Good Will Hunting, Jerry McGuire, Anchor Man.
Favorite Musicians: Gwen Stefani, John Legend, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday, Vanessa Williams.

Q: What actors inspire you?
A: Everyone on the Ugly Betty cast!

Q: What helps you get into character before a scene?
A: Putting on my sassy outfits and getting my hair and make up done!

Q: What kind of a role would you like to tackle next? Is there any role from a past film that you would have loved to play?
A: I am so focused on the show that I haven’t thought too much about what’s next. I love this part so much, it is hard to imagine what else could be this much fun!

Q: What do you hope to have accomplished either personally or professionally, ten years from now?
A: Ten years from now I want to be able to be as grateful and happy as I am today. I want to look back on my time with Ugly Betty and be proud of my work and have lots of great memories… Wait, maybe Ugly Betty will still be on the air in 10 years! Who knows?!

Q: Last, but not least, can you give us some hints on what Amanda will face in the coming third season of Ugly Betty?
A: I have no idea what is coming for Amanda in season 3. Perhaps she will get a promotion at work that will give her an upgrade in her headset. I take it as it comes, because as the last 2 seasons have shown, I am in great hands with our writers.

Dear Filip,

Thank you so much for the site you have obviously worked so hard on!! It is so cool! I really appreciate all the time you have spent on it.

We just started season 3 of Ugly Betty and it is going GREAT. I love the show so much, and I have such a great time playing Amanda Tanen. The hardest part of my day is trying not to laugh when I am filming, especially when I am working with Michael or America. Now that we are in NYC, I think the show will be better than ever.

Thank you so much for all you have done, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Becki Newton